ipl-logo

How Does Holden Present Death In Catcher In The Rye

1067 Words5 Pages

Change is an inevitable aspect of life. However, each person will either accept or unaccept the phenomenon based on the way it affects them. In J.D. Salinger’s novel, Catcher in the Rye, the main character Holden is an adolescent who refuses to accept loss, that is a change caused by the death of his brother. The story captures Holden’s thoughts and actions as he makes his way through New York City over the course of a weekend. Salinger makes use of details and symbols in order to show the non acceptance of loss.
A plethora of details help the author portray the non acceptance of the concept of death. Holden shows his denial of Allie’s death through his brash reactions. Upon hearing his decease, Holden “... broke all the windows in the garage ... [and] slept in the garage” (Salinger 44). This displays Holden’s impulsive reactions towards the death, and shows how he refuses to face the loss. The underagged character furthermore …show more content…

Details such as Holden’s impulsive reactions, his parents’ neglect towards him, and his conversations with Allie, emphasize the fact that he refused to believe in loss. Symbolism through the mummy exhibit, ducks, and the catcher in the rye, further exemplify the character’s neglect towards the phenomenon. People cope with the parting of a loved one through different means that suit them. Some indulge in the fact that they are taken from the world, while others do not accept this and continue their lives with the belief that the individual is still living. Although it is traumatic, everyone must experience death at one point or another. It is an inevitable concept that must be accepted at one point or another. Providing one with the proper care and support during this depressing experience is imperative for returning them to their original state of mind. By doing so, one will remain in the world and live their life in acceptance of

Show More
Related

Flashbacks In Holden Caulfield's Life

220 Words | 1 Pages

Holden Caulfield experiences flashbacks to the traumatic events that have occurred in his life. Holden is constantly reminded of his younger brother Allie who passed away when he was 11 years old. “So what I did, I wrote about… did, and he had very red hair,” (Salinger 38). The reader can see that Holden is constantly thinking of Allie, and that Allie was one of the people in Holden’s life that made him happy. Holden’s ability to remember the vivid details of Allie and his life prove that these traumatic events, occurring upon those who brought him joy, will always be with him.

Read More

How Does Holden Present Phonies In Catcher In The Rye

873 Words | 4 Pages

    To begin, as Holden copes with the loss of

Read More

How Does Holden Mature In Catcher In The Rye

917 Words | 4 Pages

The Catcher in the Rye written by J.D. Salinger brings us to Holden Caulfield, a young boy going through the transition of childhood to adulthood. Throughout the novel we get to see the journey that Holden is taking and the little symbols that are tied in the novel representing him. Holden has a very interesting perspective about how he preserves the world. He hates change and has this idea that changing into an adult ultimately leads you to becoming a phony and Holden despises phonies. In the novel there are many symbols that expose Holden in ways that he doesn’t want himself to be revealed.

Read More

Examples Of Change In Catcher In The Rye

1022 Words | 5 Pages

People do not expect the death of a loved one to occur at such a young age, and so abruptly like Allie 's death. The smashing of the windows shows the huge impact that he had on Holden, and how upset he was that he no longer had his brother by his side. Holden was uncertain in how to deal with this upsetting change in his life, resulted in aggressive behavior. Holden was also exposed to another traumatic event in his life during his time at Pencey. After being introduced to one of Holden 's classmates Castle he states, ¨Finally, what he did, instead of

Read More

Examples Of Loss In Catcher In The Rye

1021 Words | 5 Pages

He fears the future and feels he cannot handle it. Allie’s death holds him captive, and Holden does nothing to overcome this fear. Death holds people captive, causing them to be unable to handle the pain associated with it. One eventually reaches their limit and channels their pain and suffering into horrific actions. Allie’s death pushes Holden to his breaking

Read More

What Are The Effects Of Holden Dying

851 Words | 4 Pages

Someone once said, “The hardest part is not losing a loved one, it is the influence it has on your life without them.” In the novel, “The Catcher in the Rye” by J.D. Salinger, the main character learns the effects of a loved one dying has. The loss of a young sibling causes an unstable mother, long term depression, and a desire for all children to stay safe and innocent. At a young age of 13, Holden Caufield starts to rely on himself when his mother begins to have nervous breakdowns, after Holden’s younger brother, Allie, dies. When Holden is describing his mother as he gets ready for his date with Sally, he says, “She hasn’t felt too healthy since Allie died.

Read More

Holden's Greatest Challenge

706 Words | 3 Pages

Holden feels so depressed he “started talking, sort of out loud, to Allie” (110). This shows Holden’s mental state as he is trying to talk to his brother who has died. This is evidence of the impact of depression in his life and actions. Talking to a person who has passed away is abnormal for people. Despite that, depression causes this and has a hold on Holden.

Read More

Grief And Death In Catcher In The Rye

581 Words | 3 Pages

Holden writes about how he wishes his brother was still alive and that is another sign of grief still taking

Read More

Catcher In The Rye Grief Analysis

656 Words | 3 Pages

Holden recalls the time he spent the night in his garage: “I slept in the garage the night he died, and I broke all the goddam windows with my fist, just for the hell of it. It was very stupid I have to admit, but I hardly didn’t even know I was doing it, and you didn’t know Allie (Salinger, 39).” His denial is represented when he does not admit why he did what he did to the garage. Holden

Read More

Robert Bennett Catcher In The Rye Summary

213 Words | 1 Pages

In the article, “Overview of the Catcher in the Rye” by Robert Bennett argues that many interpretations of Holden can be taken away from the novel by providing literary interpretations, psychoanalytic analyses, and sociological perspectives of Holden. To introduce his argument, Bennett details on how the J.D. Salinger focuses more on character development of Holden, rather than the overall plot of the novel. To support this, the usage of literary interpretations comes into play. In which, the author provides examples from the text in order to accentuate the positive and innocent characteristics portrayed by Holden. Then, the author continues to support his argument by using psychoanalytic analyses developed by experts.

Read More

The Theme Of Isolation In Catcher In The Rye

1615 Words | 7 Pages

In the novel The Catcher In The Rye written by J. D. Salinger shows that Holden goes through his journey and is depressed because of his isolation from

Read More

Theme Of Death In Catcher In The Rye

1120 Words | 5 Pages

The motif of death in The Catcher in the Rye The most prominent theme in The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger is death and the loss of innocence. Death is the vehicle that drives the story, offering an explanation to Holden’s views and punctuating his feelings towards the world. This essay will explore the various instances where the motif of death occurs and possible explanations of these instances. For the purpose of this essay, “motif” is defined as “something (such as an important idea or subject) that is repeated” (Merriam Webster Dictionary).

Read More

Examples Of Motifs In Catcher In The Rye

1453 Words | 6 Pages

Motifs are recurring structures, contrasts, and literary devices that can help develop and inform the text 's major themes. One of the recurring themes in the novel The Catcher in the Rye is the pervasive theme of death. It could be argued that the novel is not only full of references to death in the literal sense, physical disappearance, but also in the metaphorical, taking the form of spiritual disappearance, something which Holden often focuses on, along with the actual theme of mortality. It is possible that this occurs because of his reluctance to interact with the living world. As his means of escaping from the reality he despises, his mundane thoughts and the “phoniness” that he is surrounded by.

Read More

Holden's Loss Of Innocence In Catcher In The Rye

1230 Words | 5 Pages

A. Allie’s death causes Holden to become obsessed with death and this obsession makes him believe that growing up and becoming a “phonie” is like dying; this belief that is planted inside Holden’s head when Allie died is what sends him on a quest to preserve children’s innocence and save them from the “death” of growing up. B. Salinger includes the traumatic story of Allies death that happened years in advance to provide an explanation for Holden’s obsession with death and how he sees loss of innocence as equivalent to dying. Allie died with his innocence still intact, so Holden does not want other children to grow up and have their innocence “die”. C. Holden even admits to being mentally unstable after his brother’s traumatic death when he says, “I was only 13, and they were going to have me psychoanalyzed and all, because I broke all

Read More

Symbolism In J. D. Salinger's Catcher In The Rye

1338 Words | 6 Pages

This is representative of how Holden is currently still carrying his grief of Allie’s death, manifesting itself in his lack of motivation in school while he is maturing to become an adult. This is important considering Holden is currently at an area where he is neither an adult nor child, but

Read More

More about How Does Holden Present Death In Catcher In The Rye

Related Topics

Open Document